Goody Goody Gumdrops

MAIN POINT

BIBLE STORY

Jesus Is BornLuke 2:1-7

MEMORY VERSE

Everyone who is(spread arms up and out)a child of God(point to others)has the power(show muscles one at a time)to win(cheer)1 John 5:4

KID CONNECT

WHAT IS KID CONNECT?
Kid Connect is all about eGROUP CONNECTIONS: for you to make connections with the kids and for the kids to make connections with each other. Activities are listed in the order they are to be completed. It’s okay if you don’t complete all the activities – some activities will work better for your group than others. Begin Kid Connect when doors open. KID CONNECT ENDS WHEN THE WORSHIP EXPERIENCE BEGINS.

Words in italics, whether on lessons or in handouts, are meant to be said out loud to your group. Anything not in italics is an instruction that does not necessarily need to be read aloud.

WELCOME children to your group. Let them know how happy you are they are in Quest and how much fun we

are going to have today!

SAY:Today the Goody Gumdrops board game will come to life as we learn who Jesus is and how we can be like Him. We’ll all WIN as we sing songs, hear sweet stories, and learn about Jesus!PLACE the Candy Coordinates mat in the center of the group. CHOOSE a Candy Coordinates game from the game card to play with your group.

KID CONNECT

QUEST CANDY COLORING PAGE

COLORING ACTIVITYSUGGESTED TIME5-10 MINUTES

SUPPLIESQuest candy coloring page, crayons. dice

PLACE crayons in the center of the circle and GIVE each child a Quest candy coloring page. INSTRUCT children to color their coloring page. As children color, talk about the picture they are coloring:

• What do you think [INSERT QUEST ANIMAL]’s favorite candy is?

• What is your favorite candy?

• If you could create a new candy, what ingredients would you use? What would you call your new candy?

• Would you rather eat a [NAME OF A CANDY] or a [NAME OF A CANDY]?

• Is there a candy you don’t like to eat? Why?

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES

• Use a die to determine the crayon color the group will use. Allow children 10-30 seconds to color using this color. Roll the die again and switch crayon colors.

• Use the number die to determine how many items to color with a certain color crayon. Allow children to color the number of items then roll the die again.

• Have children take turns rolling the die. Children will compete to be the first to color their coloring page, coloring the number of items rolled each turn.

GET TO KNOW YOU

ONCE THE WORSHIP EXPERIENCE BEGINS(5:00, 9:30, 11:30)

CANDY QUESTIONS

SUGGESTED TIME
8-10 MINUTES

SUPPLIEScandy game pieces (pink and teal), Quest animal stickers

INTRODUCE the series using the series overview:

The Goody Gumdrops board game will come to life as we learn who Jesus is and how we can be like Him. We’ll all WIN as we sing songs, hear sweet stories and learn about Jesus!

SPREAD OUT the pink and teal candy game pieces in the center of the circle. CHOOSE one candy game piece and introduce yourself. READ aloud a question from the back of the candy game piece and SHARE your answer with the eGroup.

CHOOSE one child to PICK a candy game piece and have the child SHARE his or her name. READ aloud the question from the back of the candy game piece and have the child answer the question. CONTINUE for each child.

AFTER all children are introduced, PASS out a Quest animal sticker to each child. Have each child place it next to their name tag.

SAY: We are the (insert animal name) today! There are two very special rules to remember so we can have the most fun. The rules to follow are:

1. Be Safe – How can we be safe? (keeping our hands to ourselves, sitting when others are sitting, walking instead of running, following the rules)

2. Be Kind – How can we be kind? (listening when others are talking, sharing, obeying leaders, sitting on our bottoms so others can see)

SAY: If you can obey our special rules and are ready to have fun then put one hand in the center and repeat after me:

I am (allow response)

A (Insert group name) (allow response)I will (allow response)Be kind and safe!(allow response)

BIBLE CONNECT

WHAT IS BIBLE CONNECT?

Bible Connect is all about BIBLE CONNECTIONS: for kids to make connections with the Bible and learn to love the Bible! Children will make connections to the Bible in two ways: by hearing and talking about the Bible story and practicing the memory verse. Begin Bible Connect after the Get To Know You activity. AFTER BIBLE CONNECT CHILDREN HEAD TO FREE PLAY AND LARGE GROUP.

JESUS IS BORNBIBLE STORY

SUGGESTED TIME8 MINUTES

SUPPLIESBible Story cards, candy stickers

TELL the children we can find true stories about Jesus in God’s book, the Bible!

SHOW and READ the Bible Story using the Bible Story cards.

ASK the following questions to review the Bible story. Each time a child answers a question, GIVE the child a candy sticker.

Who had to take a long trip to write their names in the king’s tax book? (Mary and Joseph)

Was Bethlehem a long way away or very close? (A long way away.)

Because Mary was about to have a baby, what did she ride on to Bethlehem? (a donkey)

When they got to Bethlehem, there were lots of people! Where did Mary and Joseph try to spend the night? (an inn)

Did the innkeeper have any rooms left? (no)

Where did the innkeeper tell Mary and Joseph they could sleep? (the stable with the animals)

What happened that night in the stable? (Jesus was born!)

SAY: Jesus, God’s son, was born! After Jesus was born, Mary wrapped baby Jesus up, safe and warm, and laid Him in a manger, which was a food bowl for the animals. At Christmas, we celebrate Jesus’ birthday.
Jesus is God’s son and the most special baby ever!Repeat our main point after me:

Jesus is (point up)God’s Son! (pretend to rock a baby)

BIBLE CONNECT

IF YOU …MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY

SUGGESTED TIME7 MINUTES

SUPPLIEScandy pieces, number die, Goody Gumdrops

SAY: While playing the Goody Goody Gumdrops game we are learning a memory verse to help us win! It says:

Everyone who is (spread arms up and out)a child of God (point to others)has the power (show muscles one at a time)to win. (cheer)1 John 5:4 (ERV)

SAY: Knowing this verse helps us remember how we WIN when we believe in Jesus and obey Him!

Practice the memory verse a few times.

PLACE the candy game pieces in the center of the group. ALLOW each child to ROLL the die and COLLECT the number of candy game piecesROLLED. After all children have ROLLED the die, CHOOSE children to RECITE the verse based on the following statements:

CALL OUT a few If You … statements then have children RETURN the candy game pieces to the center of the group. REPEAT a few rounds until all children have recited the memory verse.

EXPLAIN to the group children can recite the verse each week to earn a Goody Gumdrop for their candy jar! ALLOW children an opportunity to RECITE the verse by themselves. GIVE any child who recites the verse by themselves a Goody Gumdrop.

HEAD TO FREE PLAY, THEN LARGE GROUP.

YOU CONNECT

WHAT IS YOU CONNECT?
You Connect is about the eGroup leader (YOU!) helping children make connections with the main point and their lives. You Connect activities reinforce the main point with fun and engaging activities. BEGIN YOU CONNECT AFTER LARGE GROUP.

SAY: I’m so glad Kit and Ginger visited us in Quest today. It was fun telling them we celebrate Jesus’ birthday at Christmas. And Ginger broughtus a special Christmas treat and his favorite book! I’m going to read the book while we eat this yummy snack. But first, let’s pray and thank God for our snack.

ENCOURAGE children to BOW their heads, CLOSE their eyes, and REPEAT after you:

YOU CONNECT

CHRISTMAS CANDIESSNACK ACTIVITY

APPLICATION ACTIVITY8-10 MINUTES

SUPPLIESChristmas candy cards, leader sheet

SAY: Today we are celebrating a very special birthday. Do you remember whose birthday it is? ALLOW children to respond. SAY: We are celebrating Jesus’ birthday! God sent Jesus to earth as a baby to live with us and save us from our sins. That’s the greatest gift ever!

ASK the eGroup to stand up. PLACE the Christmas candy cards in front the children’s feet to form a smaller circle inside the eGroup.

SAY: One way we celebrate Jesus’ birth is by giving gifts and eating yummy food with our families and friends. On the floor are eight different Christmas candies. When you hear me sing and clap a song, you are going to walk around the Christmas candy cards. When the song ends, you must FREEZE!

EXPLAIN you will CALL OUT a number from a Christmas candy card and the child standing behind the number will TURN OVER the Christmas candy card and SHOW the eGroup the picture on the back.

BEGIN the activity and SING this song to the tune, We Wish You A Merry Christmas, and clap each beat as you SING:

Let’s all do a little clapping,
Let’s all do a little clapping,
Let’s all do a little clapping,
Shout, “Jesus is born!”

ENCOURAGE children to FREEZE when the song is over and CALL OUT “one.” USE the leader sheet to READ the corresponding question for picture one. REMOVE this Christmas candy card from the circle. CONTINUE until all Christmas candy cards have been DISCUSSED. CALL OUT numbers in numerical order, starting next with, “two.”

SAY: Jesus is God’s Son and He is the most special baby ever! Even the way He was born was so special and not like the birth of any other baby. Let’s say our main point together:

Jesus is (point up)God’s Son! (pretend to rock a baby)

YOU CONNECT

CHRISTMAS EVE NOTE: Due to shorter worship experiences you SHOULD NOT have time to complete this activity. Instead, READ the first SAY then give each child a gumdrop as he or she is dismissed. Make sure all VIPs and children new to the series receive a Gumdrop Jar Poster with their Main Point Gumdrop glued to it. If you have extra time, complete the activity as written.

MY GOODY GOODY GUMDROPS

COLLECTIBLE ACTIVITY

SUGGESTED TIME8-10 MINUTES

SUPPLIESGumdrop Jar poster, Main Point Gumdrops, glue, Sharpie marker

HOLD UP the Gumdrop Jar poster and SAY: Each weekend you visit the Goody Goody Gumdrops game you can collect main point gumdrops to add to your Gumdrop Jar. These gumdrops will help remind us we WIN when we are a child of God! Collect 10 gumdrops and bring your jar back to Quest to receive a Goody Gumdrops sweet treat!

EXPLAIN children can receive Goody Gumdrops by SAYING their memory verse, BEING safeand kind, and COLLECTING a gumdrop from the Goody Goody Gumdrop Tree! TELLchildren to ask their parents to find the tree after church to get another gumdrop!

To receive today’s main point gumdrop, children will have to Remember, Think, and Follow! SAY: Let’s REMEMBER … who were the mom and dad in our Bible story? (Mary and Joseph) Let’s THINK … where was Jesus born? (In a stable.) That’s right! Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem and while they were there Jesus was born! Jesus is the most special baby! If you can FOLLOW the example set in our Bible story by celebrating, let’s say our main point together:

Jesus is (point up)God’s Son! (pretend to rock a baby)

GIVE each child a main point gumdrop.

SAY: Take your gumdrop home and glue it to your Gumdrop Jar poster. Make sure to look at your poster everyday to help you remember what we learn in Quest and to spend time with Jesus. Today we celebrated Jesus’ birthday and Jesus being God’s Son! Let’s say our main point together:

Jesus is (point up)God’s Son! (pretend to rock a baby)

VIPs ANDCHILDREN WHO HAVE NOT RECEIVED A GUMDROP JAR POSTER:GIVE the child a Gumdrop Jar poster and GLUE the main point gumdrop on their poster. WRITE the child’s name on the back of the Gumdrop Jar poster with the Sharpie marker.